Head trauma biggest Heely's concern
I am sure that by now, unless you have been living in a cave, you have seen kids gliding by on Heelys. Heelys are basically tennis shoes with a wheel built into the heel, which allows you to convert from walking to gliding simply by leaning back on your foot.
Both of my kids got a pair for Christmas and soon had mastered the technique. Watching the kids glide around, I was envious of how much fun Heelys looked and thought that they could even be helpful at work, being able to get from my office to surgery to the emergency room that much faster. However, one false move and I might go flying onto my face, so I decided otherwise.
Which then begs the question, "Just how dangerous are they?" Available since 2000, the shoes have taken off in popularity as of late. At present, with some 4.5 million Heelys sold overall, statistics of course show a rise in Heelys injuries. I have only seen one child in my office with a Heelys-related injury. He tumbled forward and got a hairline-type fracture of his wrist. I am certainly not seeing an epidemic of injuries.
Many malls and schools have banned Heelys due to safety concerns. Officials surmise that if we wouldn't let you come in on rollerskates, then of course we don't want you on Heelys. The biggest concern regarding injury is head trauma, such as a concussion. The advertisers of Heelys have said they see them as athletic gear, such as rollerblades, even though they are sold in regular shoe stores, and Heelys executive Charlie Beery says, "We strongly encourage all the kids to wear protective gear whenever they can."
New production Heelys are being labeled with a sticker, a yellow label warning the wearer about potential injury. However, a look at the Heelys website also shows heelers crashing, jumping off railings and flying into pools, with no protective padding or helmets.
In 1994, a Singapore study examined injuries sustained by children using Heelys. From February to August 2004, a total of 37 patients with significant injuries sustained while "heeling" were identified. Upper limb injuries were by far the most common. None of the children used safety gear. The researchers concluded that "heeling" can lead to serious injuries despite their relatively low speed. However, a combined study between the U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission and the National Sporting Goods Association found that Heelys were relatively safe.
For example, the study found a much lower risk of Heelys injury, 33 per 100,000 participants, than for example basketball, which had an injury rate of 2,184 per 100,000 participants. Heelys also showed an injury rate that was only 2 percent of the injury rate of riding a bike.
So the take-home message is that Heelys are becoming more and more popular, and with that the injury rate will rise. This, of course, occurs anytime a new product hits the market, such as rollerblades, pogo sticks or scooters. Parents should be advised about the potential risk of injury, including possible serious head injury, and then decide for themselves what gear they will have their children wear.
This column is written to discuss issues regarding sports, medicine and safety. It is not intended to serve as a replacement for treatment by your regular doctor. It is only designed to offer guidelines on the prevention, recognition and care of injuries and illness. Specific concerns should be discussed with a physician. Mail questions to Gregory Smith, M.D., 1250 S. 18th St., Suite 204, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034. For appointments, call 261-8787 or visit www.gsmithmd.com.
Story created Jan 05, 2009 - 13:20:32 PST.
|
